Honda launches first ever Civic Type R in Canada

This hot hatch recently set a record at the Nürburgring Nordschliefe racetrack in Germany for fastest lap by a production FWD vehicle.

The wait is over — Honda has finally released the first ever Type R badged Civic in Canada.

This track-ready beast is also the most powerful showroom model the Japanese manufacturer has sent to our shores, pushing out 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. While we’re on the subject, the Civic Type R (CTR) currently holds the title of the fastest production front-wheel drive vehicle in the world after achieving a lapping record in April of this year at the famed Nürburgring Nordschliefe racetrack in Germany.

Although based on the hatchback variant of the current 10th generation Civic, it’s clear the CTR is bred for racing with more prominent body aero parts, bigger and wider 20x8.5-inch wheels wrapped in sticky 245/30ZR20 Continental SportContact 6 tires and a towering trunk spoiler. Three exhaust pipes poke out from underneath the rear bumper diffuser.

Stopping power is provided by four-piston Brembo front brake calipers mounted onto large cross-drilled rotors. The car sits on a specialty suspension system capable of continuously adjusting the dampening settings at all four corners using feedback gathered via three integrated G sensors, four suspension stroke sensors and a steering angle sensor. A helical limited slip differential is standard.

Drivers have a range of tools available to them inside the vehicle to measure various data. There’s throttle and brake application percentage, turbocharger boost pressure and lap time recorder, among many others, displayed on a seven-inch information interface installed inside the instrument cluster.

Under the aluminum hood is a turbocharged 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine responsible for the CTR’s record-breaking performance. Mated to a short-throw six-speed manual transmission, rev-matching downshifts can be optionally handled by the computer. Other user-selectable functions include the choice between three dynamic modes, COMFORT, SPORT and +R, tailoring throttle responses for different environments.

About the Author

Benjamin Yong is a freelance journalist and communications professional living in Richmond, B.C. He is often found writing about cars and the auto industry, amongst other things, or driving around in his work-in-progress 1990 Mazda MX-5.